Recently, more students studying in the UK have chosen to live in private accommodation, rather than applying for university residences. Here are the reasons why:

• Basically, universities have been teaming up with private companies to provide more choices for students
• Applying for university accommodation usually takes several weeks, and the universities cannot guarantee that the student will be allocated his/her first choice of accommodation
• Usually students can receive a confirmation of accommodation within 24 hours of booking when applying to a private provider. However, when applying for university accommodation the process will take much longer and the student cannot be sure that he/she will be allocated the accommodation hoped for

UKEAS understands that there are many advantages for students to book with a private accommodation company, and so we provide a free and convenient online service to book accommodation with the following companies:

• Casita Student Accommdation
  
  
  Casita makes booking your university home quick and simple. Use Casita’s online resource to view all the available student rooms and buildings in over 60 cities across the UK. Choose the room you desire then enquire with your counselor or through the Casita website.
  Casita customer support will be in touch the same day to get more information from you and the application process can be completed within a couple of hours. Casita’s service is 100% free and they are there to help you have a better study experience assisting you to find and rent the best student room or home within your budget and close to your institution. Casita has over 600 student accommodation buildings totaling 150,000 rooms across the UK.
  Advantages:
  • No booking fees
  • Bills all inclusive
  • Post arrival support
  • Instalment plans available
  • Short term tenancies available
  Contact your counsellor or follow this link to book your room today
• Unite Student Accommodation (UNITE)
  Unite was funded in 1991. It's the biggest student accommodation company in the UK. There are over 140 student residences across 28 UK unis.
• Liberty Accommodation
  Liberty's residences are all located near the schools. They provide the best quality and equipment. They are all over the UK.
• Student Castle
  Student castle can be found in some major cities: Cambridge, York, Durham, Bath and Glasgow.
• Mansion Accommodation
  Mansion can be found in 14 cities acrossed the UK, including Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool Colchester, Leeds and London.

A university residence will normally consist of a study bedroom that will include a single or double bed, a wardrobe, sundry storage space and a desk with a light. If you have an en-suite room then it may have it's own bathroom and shower, or could have a bathroom that is shared with other students living on the same floor or in the same flat. It is common to provide the bedding and other necessities yourself, although some residences do offer such packages for purchase.
University residences offer communal areas, such as a kitchen or dining area, where you can socialize with other flatmates. Kitchens will all have major household appliances like an oven, fridge and kettle, etc. Undergraduate students will often eat at the accommodation's canteen where meals are pre-prepared and included in the cost of the rent of the room.
For undergraduate students, living in a residence is the best way to mix with other people and make new friends. This can make life settling into a new environment much easier. For postgraduate or more mature students, living in a residence can be very convenient, but you will need to consider factors like privacy and noise. This is something that your UKEAS counsellors will be able to advise you on.